Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-03-03

ike tho changing light on the burning breast
Of dove. Tho expression OF her face was
varied as the tints of the many hued sea But
the countenance told always Of a soul full Of
truth and strength, sunny sweetness and
Singleness of purpose.
All this in a child Of 14i Yes, Shirley was
not turned out Of the common mold. She
was as school girls might be, not as they are.
Even stolid, average humanity recognized the
power and the promise there was in her. Col.
Carstono was man of wealth. His children
could have whatever he and the mother
thought was good for them. What promise
OF life could be more rare and radiant than
Shirley'si
Only her father saw something that trou-
bled him.
"But I'm afraid for Shirley. She is so
easily deceived, /" he said. people bear their
fate within their own breasts. The child
would lie down and make bridge Of her.
self for those she loved to walk over. She
carries predestination of martyrdom within
her, somehow"
"Tom, dear, you always did talk little
nonsense, you know" said his wife. "Shir-
ley's the merriest child ever saw"
"Fore de Lord" said old Sam, she's got
more sense nor anybody ever seed, for a
GAL"
Shirley looked at her father instantly.
"Papa," she asked, "hasn't girl as much
sense as boy"
Papa smiled, and did not answer, at first.
Then he said:
"Find out for yourself, Shirley"
| The question took hold of her, 1t haunted
| bar fhO11arbt Sha ho1 x1Y1JaY.
meath the common pc RECEPTIONS. Where other
children saw only the substance she unknow-
ingly looked deeper, and saw the spirit
She read everything she could lay hands on.
Her imagination took fire as she read of war
riors, heroes and martyrs. The lesson of
their mighty deeds sank into the deep child
heart, and blossomed in the clear child soul
Her world Of fancy was peopled with leaders
and princes like Moses, with Caesars and
splendid crusaders like Richard the Lion
Heart. Bernard Palsy, defying hunger and
want, opposing those whom he held dearest,
tearing the very walls from his cabin, sacri-
fcing all to achieve one splendid result
Bernard Palsy was to her the deifcation
of human will Through the years of ap-
preaching womanhood she walked as in a
dream
Nourishing youth sublime
With the fairy tales of science and the long re-
suits of Time.
Most, though, her heart went out to the
few women heroes and teachers whose names
she met on the page of the worlds history
Hypatia, Elizabeth, Zenobia. Her soul was
on fire as her eyes bent over the page that
told her about Joan of Arc, the inspired maid
| ~ l,o h.
the iron helmet resting upon her golden hair,
with her shining armor a4d white war horse,
was the highest and greatest figure of all to
the child Shirley.
Later she read Homer, Milton and Shake
speare, and their stately music rang a rhythm
to tho beating of her heart Still, too, and
ever through tho years of girlhood would
come the old question she asked her father
that day:
Has girl as much sense as boy?
Why was there no woman Homer, no
woman Shakespeare or Milton? Then Homer,
and Joan of Arc, and Shakespeare, and Rich
ard the Lion Heart mingled together in her
| dreams, till out of all there stood before her
at last a vision of a woman poet who should
be- She should be as great as the greatest, a
majestic woman, poet, hero and teacher in
one. But not martyr There were no
martyrs in these days. The world had grown
too wise and kindly for that.
So she reasoned. At last she awakened
once in the summer night suddenly. She
saw the stars shining in at the window and
heard the wind signing through the willows
down by the mill race. She whispered to
herself and said
Il will be the woman poet I, myself"
Then the new schoolmaster came.
| no an cnNTTEiun